Iranian TV shows 'CIA spy'

Iranian state television channels have aired video of a young man, alleged to be a captured CIA spy, confessing to a "mission" to infiltrate the intelligence ministry.

The television named the man as Amir Mirza Hekmati, saying he was of Iranian origin and had been born in the US state of Arizona.

The short video segments were presented as teasers for a longer video report that was to be shown later on Sunday.

The man, clean-shaven and looking to be in his 20s, was accused of being a CIA agent who, according to an Iranian intelligence ministry statement, was first identified at the US-run Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

In the video, the man - of Middle Eastern appearance - spoke fluent Farsi. The report said he was also fluent in Arabic.

The television showed a card written in English with an eagle emblem and identifying the bearer as an "Army Contractor" along with the words "Overseas MWR Commissary".

The card appeared to be for access to shops and leisure facilities in US military bases under a Defence Department program known as Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR).

Several photos of the man were also shown, some of them with him in a military uniform, others with him in traditional Arab garb.

In the video, the man spoke about his alleged "mission," saying it involved him copying information from a CIA website and offering it to the Iranians to attract their interest.

"Their plan was to first give some valuable information to the (Iranian intelligence ministry officials) so they could see whether it was good or bad, so that they would contact me," he said.

The Iranian intelligence ministry said on Saturday it had arrested a CIA spy before he successfully infiltrated the ministry to "feed it deceptive information on a large scale and spy on it".

It said "the Iranian-origin CIA agent received complex training, had worked as an analyst and also worked with the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan".

Iran frequently accuses the United States of seeking to undermine its regime through covert operations.

Evidence of part of the US spying program towards Iran came to light this month when Tehran displayed a US reconnaissance drone it said it had captured.